My Child’s Different, Masculinity, Male Allies for Working Women

Raising a Challenging Child Guest: Elaine Halligan, Director, The Parent Practice, Author “My Child’s Different” Elaine Halligan’s son Sam had been kicked out of three schools by the time he was seven. He was angry and impulsive and his parents worried he was on a path straight toward juvenile detention. The story has a happy ending –today Sam is well-adjusted and successful. Getting there was a 14-year roller coaster for the Halligans, who had to learn an entirely new style of parenting to unlock Sam’s potential. In the process, Elaine Halligan actually switched careers from accountant to parenting coach. Rethinking Masculinity in America Guest: Ronald Levant, Professor of Psychology, University of Akron What did you think of the Gillette ad? Opinions are all over the map. As it happened, the American Psychological Association also just barely came out with a new set of guidelines for treating boys and men. The document says that traditional ideas of masculinity are –on the whole –harmful to everyone, including men. Is this fair or accurate? And what can be done to improve things? How Men Can Be Allies for Women at Work Guest: Susan Madsen, Founder of the Utah Women and Leadership Project and Professor of Organizational Leadership, Utah Valley University We’ve heard about the bind some men find themselves in as traditional masculinity comes under scrutiny. A survey by LeanIn.org finds that almost half of male managers in the US say they’re uncomfortable participating in a common work activity with a woman, such as mentoring or working alone or socializing. A study recently conducted by the Utah Women and Leadership Project attempts to identify effective strategies for “male allies” to improve opportunities for women in the workforce.